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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23149393">Reconnected</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Star55/pseuds/Star55'>Star55</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Direction (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, F/F, Girl Direction, Light Angst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:47:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,512</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23149393</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Star55/pseuds/Star55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Years later, that band’s all back together.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>48</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Reconnected</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This has not been betaed by anyone other than myself, so if you find any mistakes, please, kindly, point them out. ♥</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If she’s being honest with herself, Louis wasn’t ever sure this was going to happen.</p><p>She hoped it would, sure. She and Niall were really the only ones who ever vocally said that definitive <i>yes</i> when the question was asked “will the band ever get back together?”. But after a while, she wasn’t sure it <i>would</i> happen. </p><p>It’s been years. </p><p>Long, <i>long</i> years. </p><p>There are some wounds that are still too fresh to even think about beginning to heal, but here they are.</p><p>Harry’s hand is in hers, squeezing softly. Reassuring Louis that <i>she</i> is there. She’s always there, though, which is the best thing. Louis turns her gaze to her wife. Her beloved, her entire world. She squeezes Harry’s hand back. <i>Whole world in my right hand</i>, she thinks. Harry’s eyes are warm, filled with love for her, and for their friends. But even Louis can see the apprehension there.</p><p>Louis takes a breath. She looks around at the other familiar faces.</p><p>There’s Niall – who looks <i>stupidly</i> good for being closer to thirty than when they took their break. They see Niall a lot, though. She lives just down the road from them. And she’s always there whenever Harry cooks a roast for dinner. </p><p>They’re not really <i>allowed</i> to eat at Niall’s anymore. Not after Louis accidentally set her kitchen on fire. In her defence, she was young and she’d had too much to drink. But it’s safer all around if they stick to eating at Harry and Louis’ place – if she breaks something there, it’s just another day that ends in Y.</p><p>Strangely enough, Liam doesn’t look like she’s changed much, either. She’s still got that puppy look about her. Louis kind of hates her for it, it makes her look younger, and Louis is still sore about her age at times. But Liam has mellowed out over the years, which is good. Her entire posture is far more relaxed than Louis has ever seen her. Which means that <i>Louis</i> is the one looking like she has a stick up her arse for once.</p><p>And the reason is clear when her gaze lands on the fifth and final person.</p><p>Zayn.</p><p>Never in a million years did Louis think that Zayn would agree to this.</p><p>But there she is, in all of her tattooed glory. </p><p>Her hair is longer now. Shorn on one side, just showing off the tattoos on her neck. If Louis peeks close enough, she can see the tattoos on Zayn’s skull. But she’s not peeking that closely. Not now. Not ever.</p><p>“Well, this is it,” Niall says, always the first to break the silence, a happy smile on her face. “The band’s back together!”</p><p>A tightness appears in Louis’ chest.</p><p><i>Is it, though?</i> she thinks. </p><p>They haven’t signed contracts or anything. This is the first time in almost a decade that they’ve all been in the same room.</p><p>So much has changed.</p><p>And yet, as she looks around at the four faces of the people she loved so much at one time, she feels like she’s eighteen again. </p><p>A massive part of her wants to take Harry by the hand and sneak off with her to some empty room and try and not get caught with her hand down the front of Harry’s knickers. She smirks to herself at the memory.</p><p>“I can’t believe we’re really doing this,” Liam says. </p><p>Louis can’t believe that Liam is still looking far more relaxed than she’s ever seen her before. She has no idea when that happened. They still talk, sure. But one thing leads to another, and soon they’re not talking as much as they used to and Louis can’t help but wonder if <i>she</i> is to blame.</p><p>“It’s good to see you all,” Harry says diplomatically. </p><p>Louis half expects someone to snort, to call Harry out on her bullshit. But the room stays silent. Louis’ gaze goes from Niall’s happy, relaxed face, to Liam’s, and then to Zayn’s. Strangely enough, they all look like they want to be here.</p><p>Which is odd. Because Louis isn’t exactly sure she wants to be here.</p><p>“Alright,” Louis says. She clears her throat and shuffles in her seat. Harry squeezes her hand again. “Let’s talk business.”</p><p>It’s easy to find herself in the rhythm of work – of talking music. </p><p>And it’s too easy to feel like she’s a teenager again.</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>Louis blinks. The cup of tea she’s holding in her hands starts to burn her fingers so she quickly sets it down on the nearest flat surface. Zayn stands in front of her, a sincere expression on her face. </p><p>They’re alone. Louis isn’t exactly sure <i>how</i> that happened. She remembers asking everyone if they wanted a cuppa, but no one did except her. And now they’re in this kitchenette, standing a little too close for comfort.</p><p>Louis swallows thickly. “For the record, I am, too.”</p><p>Zayn nods. She lifts a hand and tucks her hair behind her ears. “I should have called. I…”</p><p>“It’s alright.” Louis knows. She should have called, too. It’s just… hard being the one who doesn’t know what to do.</p><p>“Like, I just needed time,” Zayn continues. “I’m sorry I didn’t… I don’t.” She lets out a long breath, looking away from Louis like it hurts too much. And it probably does.</p><p>Back then, Louis didn’t have a lot of tact. She likes to think that she does now, but back then. No, she was a bull in a china shop. She spoke her mind, even when it caused someone else grief.</p><p>And she caused Zayn a lot of grief.</p><p>“I’m not. You know. Still.”</p><p>Louis nods quickly. “I didn’t think you were, mate.”</p><p>“So you and Harry got married, then?” Zayn asks, despite knowing that it’s true. That it was made <i>very</i> clear by the tabloids that Zayn was not at their wedding.</p><p>Louis nods again. Her gaze goes to the doorway. She can’t see Harry, but she can definitely hear that loud, honking laugh she loves so much. She knows her expression softens whenever she thinks of Harry, and if the way Zayn is looking at her is any indication, she’s definitely got that expression on her face right now.</p><p>“You’re good together,” Zayn comments.</p><p>“Thank you,” Louis replies. </p><p>“Any more kids on the horizon?”</p><p>“Are we really doing this?” Louis asks. She picks up her tea, just for something to do with her hands. “Are we really going to pretend like these last years didn’t happen? That you didn’t…”</p><p>Zayn sighs. “Yeah, kind of.” </p><p>Louis fiddles with the cup in her hands. She has a sip. It’s colder than she usually drinks it, but it’s tea, so she has another mouthful. “I’m sorry, too.”</p><p>That catches Zayn’s attention.</p><p>“I was a right arse,” Louis continues. “I didn’t… I didn’t react properly. I know that now. And I just wanted you to know that.”</p><p>Zayn nods. “Thanks.” She fiddles with the bracelets adorning her wrist.  “So… Um. Niall and I are together.”</p><p>Louis’ eyes dramatically widen. “<i>Really</i>?” she asks, probably far too gleefully. This is <i>definitely</i> news to her. But it’s definitely not unwelcome.</p><p>“Yeah,” Zayn replies. “For a little while now.”</p><p>“I <i>knew</i> she was seeing someone. That slag,” Louis says fondly. “Wait until Harry hears. She is going to give Niall <i>so much shit</i>.”</p><p>“You’re not mad?” Zayn asks.</p><p>Louis’ brow furrows. “Why would I be mad?”</p><p>Zayn shifts from one foot to the other. “Because we kept it a secret.”</p><p>“What’s the real reason?” Louis tries.</p><p>“Because it means I’m not in love with you anymore,” Zayn says in a rush. </p><p>Louis closes the distance between them. She hesitates for a moment before she pulls Zayn into a hug. Zayn fits in her arms just like she used to. The crook of her neck is still Zayn’s preferred place, it seems, Louis notices. </p><p>“Oh. Sorry for interrupting.” Louis looks over and sees Harry standing in the doorway to the kitchenette. Her gaze is wide as she looks at the pair of them. Zayn hastily moves back and wipes at her eyes with the backs of her hands.</p><p>“It’s alright, love,” Louis says. She isn’t sure if she’s aiming that to Harry or Zayn.</p><p>“Are you coming back out?” Harry asks.</p><p>Louis nods. “Yeah, of course. Just give us a minute?”</p><p>Harry nods. She turns back around and leaves them to it. </p><p>“You alright?” Louis asks softly. She reaches out and puts her hand on Zayn’s shoulder. An action that used to be so easy for her to do. It never occurred to her back then that her touches meant anything other than friendship.</p><p>Ultimately, that’s what fucked them all up. </p><p>Zayn was in love with Louis and Louis had no idea. </p><p>Not until Zayn tried to kiss her, despite knowing that she and Harry were very happy together. </p><p>But… the past is the past. She squeezes Zayn’s shoulder.</p><p>“So… You and Niall, huh?” </p><p>Zayn smiles. “Yeah, we just kind of happened.”</p><p>Louis grins. “I can’t wait to hear all about it.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hi again. if you've got this far, i hope you enjoyed this fic. ♥<br/>please leave me a comment if you liked it. i love comments so very much a lot. ♥<br/>criticism, constructive or not, is not welcome.</p><p> </p><p>rebloggable post on my <a href="https://star55.tumblr.com/post/612616078720385024">tumblr</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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